Celebra Goes to Latin America with PBS
Publisher Raymond Garcia at Penguin's Hispanic imprint Celebra Books, took world rights at auction to The Latino-Americans. The book, by journalist Ray Suarez, will be timed to a forthcoming PBS miniseries of the same name that will air over the course of three nights. Suarez, who had a lengthy tenure hosting NPR's Talk of the Nation, is currently a senior correspondent on PBS's NewsHour. Penguin, which said PBS hopes the miniseries will have as much impact as the arts organization's celebrated 14-hour 1987 documentary series Eyes on the Prize (about the civil rights movement), will publish The Latino-Americans in September 2012. A broad outreach from both Penguin and PBS is planned to raise awareness about the book and the series. Rene Alegria at Boxing Badger Media negotiated the deal.

Donovan, Zucker Take On Autism
Crown senior editor Vanessa Mobley bought North American rights at auction to a sweeping examination of autism—from both a social and medical vantage point—by John Donovan and Caren Zucker. Agent Alia Hanna Habib at McCormick and Williams represented the pair; Donovan is a correspondent for Nightline and Zucker a producer for ABC. Called Jigsawed, the book grew out of a story the authors did for the Atlantic in October 2010, "Autism's First Child," about the first person ever diagnosed with the disorder, who was 77 at the time of the piece. Crown said the book will not only look at the scientists and doctors studying and defining the disorder but will also emphasize "the importance of expanding understanding of what autistic individuals are capable of and what their futures might hold for them and for society as a whole." Jigsawed has been pre-empted in Brazil and the Netherlands.

Grodin Jr. on Growing Up
Marion Grodin sold a memoir to Kate Hartson at Center Street called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Adulthood. Hartson took world rights from agent Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich. The daughter of actor/comedian Charles Grodin, Marion struggled growing up in the shadow of celebrity and faced down a number of demons during her bumpy road through adolescence. The agency said the book captures Marion's "addiction-laden, hilarious, heartbreaking, and ongoing journey toward standing on her own two feet and stepping, finally, into her own light." Funny Thing is tentatively scheduled for spring 2013.

Kensington Re-Ups Monroe
Mary Monroe, who is best known for her God series (à la God Don't Like Ugly), signed a new three-book deal with her publisher, Kensington. Selena James at Kensington's Dafina division took world rights in a deal negotiated with Andrew Stuart of the Stuart Agency. Monroe's next book from Kensington, Mama Ruby, will come out in June, and the first title in the new deal is scheduled for spring 2013.

Walker's 'Good Times'
Comedian and star of the 1970s sitcom Good Times, Jimmie Walker, sold his memoir Dyn-o-mite! to Ben Schafer at Da Capo. Adam Chromy at Artists and Artisans closed the deal for Walker, who is writing with Sal Manna. Walker, best known for playing J.J. Evans on Good Times—the title refers to that character's now-iconic catch phrase—will deliver in the book, said Da Capo, commentary that is both funny and "politically charged" as he charts opening for some of the major Motown acts and landing that life-altering TV gig.

Doherty on Paul
Agent William Clark sold U.S. and Canadian rights to Brian Doherty's Traitor in the Empire of Lies: Ron Paul's Revolution. Adam Bellow at Harper bought the book at auction. Bellow is a senior editor at Reason magazine and author of 2007's Radicals for Capitalism (PublicAffairs). In looking at Paul (a polarizing Texas congressman who has emerged as a kind of folk hero to libertarians as well as being a presidential candidate), Clark said Doherty contextualizes the politician and seeks to explains "the movement around him historically, in the grand tradition of the influential American political eccentric."